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It appears that Cardinals have one mate, maybe for life but I don’t know that for sure. Recently I have paid close attention to two Cardinals that appear to be a couple. Each watches out for the other and if one is at the bird feeder it will call the other one to come enjoy a morsel or two as well. The male Cardinal appears to be protective of the female Cardinal, at times shooing other birds away when the female is at the bird feeder. But all is not bliss. One day I watched as what appeared to be a lover’s quarrel ensued! They did not chase each other off, but they were certainly animated in their discussion with each other as they went back and forth, vigorously fluttering wings and cawing the other. Both seemed intent on getting in the last word. One would fly a short distance away but would immediately return to continue the ‘discussion.’ See for yourself!

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Summer is the time to be outside as much as possible. So I am. Outside, that is. It is easier this year to stay out-of-doors than in the past because now we have our place. I LOVE to garden and it has been years since I’ve been able to dig in the dirt and plant and watch things grow or sit on a porch and watch the chipmunks at play. I still have my studies, but when my head is not in the books or I’m not writing a paper, I am outside watering plants, mulching the flowerbed, digging up new garden plots, etc. I imagine that is the way it will be for the rest of the summer. Growing things and watching a yard come to life is my idea of heaven! So out in the yard is where you’ll find me even on the hottest of days.This year the yard may look bare and scraggly, but next year we should see the beginnings of what promises to be lush gardens.

Russian Sage and Lavender: The beginnings of a butterfly and hummingbird garden.What my cone flowers will look like next year!Echinacea (a.k.a. Yellow Cone Flowers). Planted next to the purple cone flowers. Mine will look beautiful, too, next summer. 🙂These tiger lilies grew in our yard this year. My sister-in-law gave me more day lilies to add to these for next year.This is one of my peonies this year. My sister-in-law gave me more to add to the few that I have, and of a different color, too. I can’t wait to see my peony garden next year!A rose-bush grows beside the deck but it has not been pruned for years. I will cut the bush back this fall so that next year roses will fill the branches with healthy, fragrant blooms.We have at least three rhododendrons in our yard! I cut them back at the beginning of summer and new growth has already sprouted. 🙂

There’s more but these are the photos I have. If you have suggestions of what might look good in the yard for next year, please do tell! 😉 I have a big yard and it will take a few years to create a real garden with veggies, flowers, trees, and other wildlife. I plan to make some “proper” birdbaths to place out in the yard next year, something other than old pie tins that I found lying around. I also have ideas for various bird feeders with different food to attract birds of all kinds. And yes, I’ll also put up a squirrel feeder for my furry friends. Do you think that will keep the squirrels out of the bird food?

I’m not around the blogosphere as much these days. On one hand I miss my regular blogging routine. On the other hand, who wants to be inside all day every day when the sun shines, the temperatures are warm and the out-of-doors beckons? Thank you to those of you who check in on Inspired Vision regularly, or just pop in occasionally. Once the cold weather and dreary days return, I’ll jump back into my blogging habits. Until then, enjoy the summer. I know I am. 🙂

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Birds are chirping outside my window and the sun rays brighten the landscape of our back yard. Bees buzz around the rose-bush, and the tiger lilies that grow along the side of the garage are in full bloom. A breeze ruffles the leaves of the Oak tree that grows along the back or our property. A mother rabbit, followed by her bunny, hop across the yard quickly going from the pile of brush behind the garage to the shelter under our deck. Squirrels have already made their morning run to the bird feeder, and now many species of birds are joyfully enjoying the feast and playing in the makeshift birdbaths. A chipmunk scurries across the deck and I feel lighthearted as I quietly observe the morning activities in our back yard. Finally I have completed ten grueling weeks of study and am free to enjoy this new day unencumbered. What joy. I have missed blogging, really blogging. I have missed visiting your blogs. Thank you to those of you who continued to pop in now and then to see how I was doing. For those who haven’t stopped by, I am anxious to renew old acquaintances. Hopefully future quarters will not take as severe a toll on my husband and me as this one has. But I don’t need to worry about that now because for three weeks I am free. 🙂

After a little R & R, I have so much to share with you. And I look forward to getting caught up with y’all and what you have done and are blogging about, too. Have a great day and I will be seeing you around. 😉

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It’s late at night and my brain is fried! The studies are intense as I head into the final two weeks of the quarter. I “should” be working on a paper but I had to stop and share an experience from this morning! Recently I discovered a stack of pie tins, all sizes and shapes, that had been left here by the previous owner. We can’t use them but I hate to throw them away, so I made a bird feeder (the squirrels enjoy it, too) and bird baths out on our deck. Nothing fancy, but they will do for now. I have enjoyed looking out our windows at all the activity. We’ve had Robins, Purple Finches, Crows, Tree Sparrows, Blue Jays, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Cardinals, a Common Grackle, House Sparrow, Mourning Doves, Song Sparrows, and more (that I can’t name!) I have taken great delight in watching them and then identifying them via an app on my iPod (Chirp! U.S.A.)

Additionally, we have watched chipmunks, rabbits and deer in our yard (yes, deer) and of course, squirrels! Well, this morning I got “up close and personal” with a new squirrel friend! He was on the deck when I went out to fill the feeder and baths. At first we just stared at each other, his body tense, ready for flight. I spoke softly and inched my way closer and closer; several times he turned to run, but then he turned back and edged closer to me. We carried on like this for a few minutes until we were within reach of each other. That was as close as I wanted to get this time. I had my camera in hand so I shot photos as I talked to him. After a while I could see that he was more relaxed and was enjoying the “bird” food. I expect he’ll come around again tomorrow. Hopefully at some point in the future he will eat from my hand. (Maybe the birds will, too, eventually.)

So, enjoy some photos from this morning’s serendipitous encounter, along with other photos of the wildlife in our yard!